Timber connecting system and timber connecting element

ABSTRACT

A timber connecting system for wood structures and especially post and beam structures in which the post is encircled by at least one connecting element having two spaced apart ring bands with an open side and a pair of straps connecting the ring bands and extending away from the post which is encircled by the ring bands. The beam is received between the straps and a further beam can be supported relative thereto by another connecting element whose U-shaped retaining parts engage the respective beams and have closed sides pivotally connected together.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is national phase of PCT/EP95/01112 filed 24 Mar. 1995and based, in turn, on German national applications P 44 10 535.5 filed26 Mar. 1994 and P 44 10 534.7 filed 26 Mar. 1994 under theInternational Convention.

The present invention relates to a wood or timber connecting system forwooden structures, such as pergolas, open garages, bus shelters, etc.The invention also relates to a wood or timber connecting element forconnecting vertical posts and wooden beams fixed substantiallyperpendicularly thereto.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Frequently in the case of fences, pergolas, open garages and the like,use is made of round timbers or timber, concrete posts, to which is thenfixed the wooden beam as a girder for a fence panel or side wall, e.g.for a garage. The connection between the post and the wooden beamnormally takes place by means of mechanical parts, such as hinges, screwconnections, brackets, etc. All these elements suffer from thedisadvantages that they damage the wood of the post assembly iscomplicated, a flexible adaptation to the most varied shapes and easydisassembly and modification are not possible.

The connection of the individual timber components of the aforementionedwooden structures conventionally takes place by means of brackets, screwconnections or structural notches in the individual components. Withsuch wooden structures it is a common problem to have to connect or joinvertical supports, which are frequently made from round timbers or fromconcrete, and horizontal components arranged substantially at rightangles thereto and which are known as main girders. The main girders canalso carry secondary girders. It is disadvantageous in the hithertoknown fastening and fixing modes, that on the one hand there is nostructural wood or timber protection, because wooden parts can bedamaged or surfaces occur in the wood on which water can collect and canlead to the premature destruction of the wood, and on the other hand itis difficult to bring about a variable structural form differing fromthe right-angled ground plan.

GB 2 005 325 A discloses a metallic connecting element for theconnection or joining of metal fences, which has a ring band open on oneside and whose internal diameter substantially corresponds to theexternal diameter of the post. Mounting or fastening straps are shapedonto the open ends of the ring band for fastening purposes and betweenthem can be fastened a fence element. The fastening straps are widerthan the ring band. Thus, on one post it is possible to use twoconnecting elements, which are rotated by 180° about the longitudinalaxis thereof relative to one another. One connecting element points inone direction and the other connecting element in the other direction.Therefore the two connecting elements can be fastened to the post intightly engaging manner without there being any vertical displacement ofthe individual fence panels. Upon rotation through 180° about thelongitudinal axis, the fastening means in the fastening straps arearranged axially symmetrically.

DE 586 379 discloses a device for fastening fence members, which has aU-shaped construction and on the base is mounted a rotary manner on afastening element for fitting the device to a post. As a result of therotary mounting random angles with respect to the post can be obtainedin a simple manner.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide a timber connectingelement and timber connecting system appropriate for woodenconstruction, which allows a simple assembly and modification, whilekeeping to a minimum the damage to the individual timber components.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The timber connecting system of the invention which achieves thisobject, has a first connecting element between a vertical post and ahorizontal wooden beam, which engages in circular manner around the postby means of one or more ring bands and can be fixed to the wooden beamby fastening straps. The post can be made from wood or other materialsand can be round or square. By the fixing of the wooden beam to thefastening straps and the tilting as a result of the load, the firstconnecting element is held on the post without any further fastening.The first connecting element has two or more spaced ring bands open onone side and whose internal diameter substantially corresponds to theexternal diameter or the circumferential circle of an angular post. Onthe open ends of the ring bands are provided two fastening straps forthe wooden beam, which are wider than the inside width of the ring bandsand which is obtained from the spacing of the outer edges of the twoouter ring bands. The spacing of the ring bands at least corresponds tothe width of the ring bands. For the retaining of an angular woodenbeam, the fastening straps can be planar or at least partly curved andadapted to the round shape of a corresponding wooden beam. The fasteningmeans in the fastening straps for the wooden beam are so positioned thatthey are axially symmetrical to a 180° rotation about the longitudinalaxis. Through the wide fastening straps and the special arrangement ofthe fastening means, it is possible by rotating by 180° about thelongitudinal axis to heightwise position two wooden beams to be fixed toa post. The ring bands of the connecting elements engage in one another,so that, located parallel to one another in the gaps between the ringbands of the other connecting element, they engage round the post. Asecond connecting element between the substantially horizontallydirected wooden beam has two U-shaped retaining parts, which on theirclosed faces are interconnected so as to rotate about the longitudinalaxis. Through these two connecting elements of the timber connectingmember the ground plans of the wooden structures can be varied a simplemanner and can differ from a right-angled construction. Through thefirst connecting element two wooden beams fixed to a post can bemutually adjusted with a random angle by simply turning and through thesecond connecting element the main and secondary girders can be adaptedto the angle resulting from the fastening to the post.

According to a preferred embodiment the fastening straps have a stop forthe wooden beam as an assembly aid. This stop can be in the form of abolt, which is carried by both fastening straps. During assembly thewooden beam to be fixed and which can also have a correspondingly shapedrecess for this purpose, is brought up to the stop, so that bores in thewooden beam can be made to more easily coincide with corresponding boresin the fastening straps.

To keep the unventilated surface of the timber as small as possible,according to another advantageous embodiment the ring band face and/orthe retaining straps have timber ventilation holes.

According to another preferred embodiment, in the case of the secondconnecting element the connection of the retaining parts takes place bymeans of a shaft to which the said parts are fixed so as to rotate by360°. This allows any random angle between the individual wooden beams.

In order to obtain an optimum constructional timber protection theretaining parts can have additional holes for ventilating the timber.According to a preferred embodiment the timber parts are spaced from theretaining part, so that moisture can drain off and no surfaces can formon which water collects and can consequently lead to a premature rottingof the wood.

By means of the timber connecting system according to the invention itis consequently possible to construct wood structures, such as arefrequently produced on a do-it-yourself basis in the horticulturalfield, which do not have a rectangular ground plan shape. The connectingelements can be easily assembled and disassembled, which also makes iteasier for non-experts to use this system. As in particular the postsare not damaged, it is possible to use them again in a different designand ground plan form.

Additionally, in the fastening straps a stop is provided as an assemblyaid for the wooden beam and this step can be constructed in the form ofa screw bolt. In addition, the wooden beam can have on one face a notchwith which it engages round the bolt. During assembly the wooden beam ismoved up to the stop between the fastening straps, so that automaticallythe bores in the wooden beam are made to coincide with the bores in thefastening straps.

The dimensions of the ring band diameter with respect to the post usedand the mutual spacing of the fastening straps with respect to thewooden beam to be retained can be chosen in such a way that the bracingof the beam simultaneously brings about an additional bracing of thering band or bands around the post. The post can be round or angular.According to a preferred embodiment the fastening straps have a spacingcorresponding to the wooden beam thickness. Therefore the ring band isnot tightened round the post and instead fastening takes place in thatthe ring band is tilted by the load of the beam and consequently nomovement of the timber connecting element along the post takes place.This more particularly applies if, as in the case of a fence, woodenbeams are positioned to the right and left of the post and therefore twotimber connecting elements are closely engaged.

Preferably the fastening straps are substantially rectangular, one edgebeing aligned with an edge of the ring band or the outer ring band.Thus, with minimum material expenditure a reliably functioning timberconnecting element is obtained. In addition, the ring band face and/orretaining straps have holes for the ventilation of the timber, so that aminimum water quantity forms behind the timber connecting element whichcould damage the wood.

As has been stated hereinbefore, it is possible with the timber joiningelement according to the invention, in simple manner to remove andmodify existing timber connections without having to take account of theangles at which the individual square timbers are fixed to a post. Thetimber connecting element permits a completely flexible design and atthe same time a constructional timber protection is obtained in that theminimum quantity of wooden parts are notched, drilled or otherwisemodified.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The above and other objects, features, and advantages will become morereadily apparent from the following description, reference being made tothe accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a first connecting element.

FIG. 2 A side view of two first connecting elements, which fasten woodenbeams to a post;

FIG. 3 is a side view of a second connecting element interconnectingthree crossbeams.

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic representation of the wooden structure with theconnecting elements.

SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a first wood or timber connecting element 1with a ring band 5, to whose open ends are connected two fastening orfixing straps 3 used for fixing a wooden beam. The ring band 5 passesround a post, which can be both round and angular.

FIG. 2 shows two first timber connecting elements 1, 2, to whosefastening straps 3, 4 is in each case fixed a wooden beam 7. Each timberconnecting element 1, 2 has two ring bands 5, 6, which engage round thevertical post 8. The ring bands 5, 6 of a timber connecting element arespaced from one another, the spacing at least corresponding to the widthof the ring band. Thus, it is possible to obtain a space-savingarrangement of two timber connecting elements, as can be gathered fromthe drawing. Simultaneously the fastening straps 3, 4 are constructed insuch a way that they are wider than the spacing of the two outer edgesof the ring bands 5, 6. Thus, the fastening means 9, e.g. screwed downbolts or the like, can be so positioned that they allow an angularoffset the timber connecting elements by 180° about their longitudinalaxis 11 without any change to the position of the fastening points.Thus, two wooden beams 7 of a post can be fitted at the same heightwithout any need for the staggering of e.g. the drill holes in the beam.By means of a stop 10, assembly is significantly facilitated, becausethe wooden beam 7 can be moved up to the stop 10 and then the fasteningmeans 9 can be more easily fitted through the associated bores to thebeam 7. The edge 12 on the fastening straps 3, 4 additionally serves asa stop on tilting the timber connecting element on the post 8 as aresult of the load through the wooden beam 7. This reliably prevents anyslipping of the timber connecting element 1 or 2. The ring bands 5 and6, as well as the fastening straps 3 and 4 also have ventilation holes13 to prevent or reduce damage to the wood by moisture under the partsof the connecting elements. The timber connecting elements are sodesigned that the edge 20 of the particular fastening strap is alignedwith the edge 21 of the outer ring band, which leads to projecting edgesand corners.

FIG. 3 shows the second timber connecting element 14 with the U-shapedretaining part 15, 16. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 the sides ofthe lower retaining part are so wide, that they overlap two wooden beams17 and serve for the fixing thereof. In use cases where the wooden beam18 only rests on one wooden beam 17, the sides of the retaining part canbe made narrower. As can be gathered from the drawing, the wooden beams17 and 18 are held in the retaining parts 15 and 16 in spaced manner,e.g. by corresponding screw connections and washers, so that moisturecannot bring about any damage to the wood. The two retaining parts 15and 16 are fixed to one another by a bolt 19 around which the tworetaining parts can rotate by 360°. As a result of this design the maingirder 17 and crossbeam 18 can be arranged at a random angle to oneanother.

The individual timber connecting elements are made from high-gradesteel, so that no further care and treatment are required.

FIG. 4 diagrammatically shows a wood structure with three posts 8, whichcan be made from wood or concrete. At the upper end on the post 8 areprovided first timber connecting elements 1 and in the case of thecentral post two first connecting elements are fitted, as can begathered from FIG. 2. The first connecting elements carry wooden beams17 acting as main girders on which are fixed wooden beams 18 acting assecondary girders by means of two timber connecting elements 14. Theangles between the individual wooden beams 17 and 18 can be adjusted asrequired by means of the connecting elements according to the invention.

I claim:
 1. A timber connecting system for wood structures, said systemcomprising, in combination with a post and a plurality of woodenbeams:at least one first connecting element for connecting said post toone of said wooden beams, said first connecting element having:twospaced-apart ring bands of substantially the same width adapted toencircle said post one above another and open at one side of the bandsand of internal diameters corresponding to an external diameter of thepost, a pair of mutually juxtaposed fastening straps for receiving saidone of said beams between them, said straps being connected tocorresponding ends of said bands and interconnecting said bands whileextending away from said post, said bands being spaced by a distance atleast equal to said width, said straps being of a width greater than thewidths of said ring bands, and fastening means on said straps forsecuring said straps to said one of said beams, said fastening meansbeing disposed symmetrically with respect to a longitudinal axis throughsaid first connecting element extending along and located between saidstraps perpendicular to said post so that upon rotation of said firstconnecting element through 180° about said axis there is no change inpositions of said fastening means relative to said one of said woodenbeams; and at least one second connecting element for securing two ofsaid wooden beams together, said second connecting element including:twoU-shaped retaining parts each receiving a respective one of said woodenbeams and having closed ends adjacent one another, and pivot meansinterconnecting said closed ends to enable said retaining parts torotate about a longitudinal axis of said second connecting element. 2.The timber connecting system defined in claim 1, further comprising astop formed on said straps and serving as an assembly aid for attachmentof said straps to said wooden beam.
 3. The timber connecting systemdefined in claim 1 wherein said bands are formed with holes forventilating said post encircled by said bands.
 4. The timber connectingsystem defined in claim 1 wherein said straps are formed with holes forventilating a respective one of said wooden beams received between saidstraps.
 5. The timber connecting system defined in claim 1 wherein saidpivot means includes a shaft to which said retaining parts are fastenedand enabling rotation of said retaining parts through 360°.
 6. Thetimber connecting system defined in claim 1 wherein means is providedfor spacing said retaining parts from said wood beams.